---- 30 SERMONS upon Serm. 3, 5. Take up no Praaices nor Principles, but upon full convielior . This uupofeth a neceffity of often change, or at leaf of frequent doubting. Men do not fearch, but a& out of blind Obedience, and4hen they are liable to feduElion : t Theft: 5.2I. Prove all things, bold fall that which is good. It is a pertinacy, not a confancy, when I have no clear warrant. .a Chriflian Jhould be able to give an anfwer to every Man that asketh him a reafon of the Hope that is in him,with meehnefi and fear, t Pet.3.t 5, otherwife we fhall never be able to fecure our Pralices and Opinions again( the Pbje &ions in our own Hearts, and anfwer the Sophifer in our own Bofoms. 2. Obferve. That no Knowledg is fafficient to Life Eternal, but the Knowledg of God 'and Chrift. I am to prove; t. No other Knowledg is fufficient. 2. How far this is enough for fuck an End and Purpofe. The Scripture afferts both, for the words are exclufive and aflertive ; there is no other Knowledg, and this is fufficient. r. No other Knowledg is fufficient to Life Eternal. I [hall prove it by two Argu- ments. (I.) Out of Chrift we cannot know God. The Gentiles had rò yvw "ecv, fomething that was known of God, Rom. I. 19, 20. which ferved to leave them without excufe, but not to Cave their Souls : The Apoftle infanceth in fuch Attributes as are obvious, but more terrible than comfortable, as Eternity, Power, ec. They had Come loofe thoughts of his Godhead and Power, but no diflin& view of his Effènce 5 that is re- ferved for the Scriptures. The Scriptures are the Pi&ure of Chrift, and Chrift is the Image of the Father; 2 Cor. 4.4 Left the Light of the glorious Gape! of Chrift, who is the Image of God, fliowld Jbine upon them. God never made out himfelf to the World in that latitude and greatnefs, as he hath done to the World in Chrift. In Chrift's Perfonand Kingdom, the Majefty of God is known ; in the Divine Power of his Operations, the irength of God; in the excellency of hisBenefits, the Love of God. The wifeft Heathens, that had nq other Glafs than the Book of the Creatures, where- by to drefs up their Apprehenfions, could only fed a firft Caufe, a firf Mover, a Be- ing of Beings, fome great Lord and Governor of the Order of the World, whom they mightily transformed and misfigured in their Thoughts ; they knew nothing di- ttin&ly of Creation and Providence, of the Nature of Worfhip, which is necefiary; for whofoever is faved, mutt not ogly know God's Effence, but his Will, for other - wife we thall but grope as the Heathens did, A s 17.27. That they jhould feek the Lord, if haply they fhoeld feel after him, and find him : We cannot feek him to fatif fa&ion. (z.) Without Chrift, no enjoying of God. It mutt be fuch a Knowledg, as bring - eth God and the Soul together. Now between us and him there is a great Gulph ; all gracious Commerce is broken off between God and the fallen Creature: John 14. 6. No Man comet( unto the Father, bat by me. No free Trade unto Heaven, but by Jacob's Ladder. John t. 5 r. Hereafter yew Iba!! fee Heaven open, and the ,angels of God afcending and defcending upon the Son of Man. There is no Accefs but by Chrift ; and fo no Salvation but by him : Alts 4. 12. keither is there Salvation in any other, for there is none other Name under Heaven, given among Men, whereby we mief be faved. In the fallen State of Man, there is need of a Mediator : in Innocency we might imme- diatly çonverfe with God, God loved his own Image. What could a jut and holy Man fear fromoa jute and holy God ? But now, that of God's Creatures, we are made his Prifoners, we can expel nothing of Mercy, becaufe he is'jgfl. Guilty Nature pre - f.ageth nothing but Evil. Rom. r. 32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit fuch things are worthy of death. The great Quefion of the World is, Wherewith [hall I appeafe him, to give his Juttice content and fatisfalion ? Mich. 6. 8. In all the Inventions of Men, they could never find out a fufficient Ranfom, to expi- ate Sin, to reconcile God, to fanlify humane Nature, that we might have commerce with Heaven. 2. The fufficiency of this Knowledg. For underftanding of this, you mule know, that all Breviats, where Religion is reduced to a few Heads, mutt be inlarged according to
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